John Ryan Murphy really didn’t have a choice when it came to which NFL team he was going to root for.

His father, Mark, grew up on Elmwood Avenue in downtown Buffalo cheering for the Buffalo Bills, so even though John Ryan was born and raised in Bradenton, Florida, and his mother Caroline and her entire side of the family were Miami Dolphins fans, his NFL allegiances were pre-determined.

“Yeah, that’s my squad,” said Murphy, who is in his second season as a catcher with the Rochester Red Wings. “My dad brainwashed me. I’m a lifer now.”

It’s tough being a Bills fan, especially for someone who wasn’t even born when the Bills made their first appearance in the Super Bowl back in January 1991 and has really never tasted any nugget of success.

While Murphy’s favorite NFL team has turned misery into an art form, the first team he played for when he broke into the major leagues was the most successful franchise in American sports history, the New York Yankees.

Murphy was a second-round pick of the Yankees in 2009, and after winding his way up the minor-league chain, he made his debut in the Bronx in 2013 and spent parts of the next three years serving as New York’s backup catcher, first to Chris Stewart, and then to Brian McCann.

During his time with the Yankees, John Ryan Murphy caught several star pitchers including Andrew Miller.(Photo: Anthony Gruppuso, Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports)

During that time, he was teammates with Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriquez, Mariano Rivera and Ichiro Suzuki, not to mention Mark Teixeira, Carlos Beltran, CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte.

“It was incredible,” Murphy said of his time with the Yankees. “It was impossible to go to the field and not learn something each day as a young player. It was a veteran clubhouse, ... they love the game, they want to talk about baseball. They want to hear what you think about their swing, they want to talk to you about what you think of a pitcher.”

In particular, A-Rod fascinated Murphy.

“Alex sees the game unlike anybody I’ve ever been around,” said Murphy. “I wasn’t playing a lot (in 2015) and he was DHing, so I had a lot of down time with him during the games, and he wanted to talk about hitting, about baseball. A lot of it was in the video room. ... My time with him was invaluable.”

As a Yankee, John Ryan Murphy was a serviceable hitter with an average of .267 in parts of three seasons.(Photo: Jim Cowsert, Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports)

With the Yankees, Murphy seemed set as the backup, at least until young Gary Sanchez was ready. He was solid behind the plate, and he hit .267 with an on-base percentage of .311, perfectly fine for a backup catcher.

But the Yankees were interested in a Twins outfielder, and at the end of 2015, they traded Murphy to Minnesota to get him. Since then, Murphy hasn’t been the same player and after just 25 games with the Twins in 2016, he was sent down to Rochester and he hasn’t been back to the majors since.

“I’d never been traded before, and it happened so quick,” Murphy said. “I miss the people, the teammates (in New York), but at the time it was a great opportunity to come over here (and compete for a starting job). I just didn’t do anything with it. That’s something I have to look in the mirror about.”

Red Wings manager Mike Quade said Murphy’s defense is fine, but his offense has to improve if he hopes to get a shot with the Twins, or any other major-league club. He hit just .146 with the Twins last year, and so far with the Wings, his average is just .236.

“If you look at the world of backup catchers in the big leagues, there’s not a whole lot of them that are wearing it out offensively, most of them are just really good defensively,” said Quade. “His catching speaks for itself, he’s done a decent job of that. But he has to hit.”

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As the Red Wings catcher, John Ryan Murphy has been solid defensively, but he has struggled at the plate.(Photo: Jamie Germano/@jgermano1/Staff Photographer)

Murphy knows his career will hinge on his offensive production, so he has to figure it out. The good news is he’s only 26, and as long as he stays healthy, there’s always a place for good defensive catchers.

“A lot of it is confidence, knowing you’re going to get a hit every time you go up there, whether you’re feeling bad or good,” he said.

It’s like being a Bills fan — there’s a few good days and some bad days. One thing Murphy has no regrets about: his fandom. "Once a Bills fan, always a Bills fan, that’s how I view it," he said. "When they make the playoffs, I’m gonna be there.”